Recommendations for Tripod in $300-$500 range?

[coloyooper]

Looking for a new tripod but can’t break the bank on it. Light(ish) weight but durable enough for a 65mm spotter. Would love to go with outdoorsman but kids and diapers aren’t cheap.

Thanks!

 

[MtnW]

Hold our for a used Outdoorsman.

 

[hereinaz]

I always have questions, lol.

What else besides the spotter will you do with it? Standing or seated glassing?
How tall are you?
Do you run binos?
Angled or straight?

 

[coloyooper]

I always have questions, lol.

What else besides the spotter will you do with it? Standing or seated glassing?
How tall are you?
Do you run binos?
Angled or straight?

I do a lot of glassing with binos off a tripod as well. Spotter is angled, I’m 6’ and generally a mix of both seated and standing depending on situation

 

[Msengineered]

What are good recommendations for trekking poles than can convert to a tri-pod?

 

[hereinaz]

What are good recommendations for trekking poles than can convert to a tri-pod?

That’s a completely separate thread you could start.

 

[hereinaz]

I do a lot of glassing with binos off a tripod as well. Spotter is angled, I’m 6’ and generally a mix of both seated and standing depending on situation

You could get away with the carbon fiber off Amazon as the least expensive way to get a tripod. I use the return policy liberally to check stuff out.

They have lots of center column tripods but I just don’t like center columns for spotters and big glass. That is me. My buddy runs an outdoorsman, and it just isn’t as stable as I like.

Siriu and Leofoto are good quality Chinese brands.

I would pick the max weight for the tripod and then the max length you want. Then look at the models in those brands to compare cost and features.

Four leg sections or five.
Center column or no.

Me, I run the inverted leg tripod with two sections from Leofoto. I hate extending all the legs and having to reach down to do it. I also hate the wobble of the center column. I also hate getting the leg tensioners down in the dirt and mud cause it always gums up the way the legs slide out.

My tripod is long, yeah, but with a 40mm ball head I am still under 3.5 pounds and it is rock solid. I would rather deal with strapping it to my pack than deal with the short tripods and draw backs.

I am an outlier, but give it a look and consider it. Buy it and return it out doesn’t work for you.

 

[hereinaz]

There’s two models there to start. Not the little one, lol.

Leofoto SO-282C Inverted Tripod, Fixed Apex, Carbon Fiber, 2 Leg Sections, for Competition and Target Shooting https://a.co/d/7sH7CcR

That is what I run.